Freedom In Ink
by Arielara Lupin
Summary: After the war, he was treated as an outcast. Often refused service all because of the brand he had been forced to take. It was by sheer luck that Luna Lovegood took him in one afternoon. It was life changing.


War. It ravages things. Land, Societies, relationships, families, people. It comes in fiercely destroys that which we hold dear. The cost of war is high. Oh sure, people eventually move on. Buildings get rebuilt, land regrows. But there are always scars. Some are clearly visible, others are not.

A few years after the Second Wizarding War, wizarding Britain was finding its way back to its feet. People were moving on. Some more easily than others. Others still struggle, but not completely of their own volition. Some have to deal with how the public perceives them for something they were forced to do doing the war.

Draco Malfoy was one of these. He never wanted to be a Death Eater. But at the tender age of 16, he had not had a choice. Do it or his family suffered. While he had always looked up to his Father, he had messed up many times. When he failed in his mission for the Dark Lord, he had left Draco with no choice. Draco wanted to be better than his Father. In order to do that he had to play the perfect Pureblood Prince. He took the mark and pretended it was exactly what he wanted. An honor to be the youngest marked. Inside he was screaming. He hated everything about it. The only thing the mark had allowed him that was good was the protection of his family. He couldn't let them be harmed because he had refused. The public did not see this. They saw only what they wanted. An ex death eater, out in public instead of rotting in prison. No matter that their savior had spoken in his defense.

Draco hated the mark. Hated the things he had to do in order to keep his family safe. Hated himself. His mother had found him bleeding out on the drawing room floor when he had tried to cut it off his skin. Even though he had begged her to let it go, let him go, she had healed him. He told her he deserved to bleed and die in the same place many innocents had been torture and killed. His mind often plagued with the horrible memories of Granger twitching and bleeding on the cold marble floor, his crazed Aunt cackling madly above her. He still saw the word carved into her delicate flesh, branding her against her will. He had never been so grateful to a house elf, as he had that day. Helping the trio escape, had ultimately been what would allow them to end the war, and be rid of evil incarnate. When these thoughts plagued him, he often rubbed at his scarred mark, clawing gashes thru the offensive image.

Luna Lovegood had been out in Diagon Alley doing a bit of shopping before meeting her dear friend Hermione for lunch. She heard shouting of angry words and a someone yelling about death eater scum. Her heart sped up a bit and she gripped the wand in her pocket. Looking around, she saw Draco Malfoy outside a nearby restaurant, surrounded by an angry mod of wizards. They were yelling awful things at him. Her heart went out to him. She knew he hadn't had a choice of being marked, that he had been forced into it. She knew he regretted it all.

She remembered her stay in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. How they often starved or beat the prisoners, often times torturing and killing them. Draco had been a blessing in those dark times. Risking himself, he had snuck them extra food, oh the cake was lovely. He had often tried to help heal them as best he could. All at a risk to himself, and his family. She had seen him fighting against Death Eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts. Not only for himself, but other innocents around him. He had shielded George Weasley, who had been lost in the grief of losing his twin. Luna didn't hold any of his past actions against him. She saw him break through the crowd to escape and called out to him as he tried to duck down a nearby alleyway. He stopped just inside the alley and looked at her. She smiled at him, her dreamy voice offering him sanctuary.

"Come with me Draco Malfoy. We will go grab a bite to eat with friends."

He looked indecisive for a few minutes. Was she serious? Who would want to be friends with him? He didn't deserve it. Still, he hoped. He wanted it, far more than he had any right to. Still he couldn't risk it. He gruffly apologized.

"I'm sorry."

Two simple words. Both knew he was apologizing for more than not going with her now. Luna reached out her hand, laid it on his arm and gently tugged.

"Come Draco Malfoy. I promise where we are going you will be welcomed."

Pulling him with her, leaving him no choice, she quickly disapparated. They landed in front of a welcoming little house. Out front was a lush garden that was filled with not just wizarding plants, but muggle ones too. Draco figured this must be her house. That is until she walked him up the path and knocked on the door. The voice that called them in sounded familiar.

He was glancing around the room they had entered. His eyes noticing all the books, few knick knacks, and had just began to look at the various photos when a soft gentle voice bid him welcome.

"Hello Malfoy."

"Granger," He stuttered and began backing up toward the entrance.

Luna once again grabbed his arm and reassured him that he was indeed welcome. His eyes flashed towards Granger again, expecting a sneer upon her face. A small smile was upon her lips, and most shockingly, she had not drawn her wand. He took a tentative step forward. She smiled again and beckoned him toward the kitchen.

"Please. Come sit, lunch is just ready. It's only us today, Harry is unable to make it. Stuck at work."

Draco nodded and hesitantly took a seat. His mind whirling while the girls began chattering away. The whole situation was extremely odd to Draco, almost like a dream. He shook his head to clear it, but not one harsh look or insult was sent his way. Granger had gotten up and proceeded to serve them a bowl of soup and a sandwich. The soup smelled delicious, causing his stomach to growl in anticipation. The sandwich was something called a grilled cheese. It was melty and buttery. All in all, it was the most normal feeling meal he had eaten in a long while.

Draco remembered hearing not long ago about the rift in the Golden Trio after the war. Something about the weasel leaving them. He was a little lost in his own thoughts when he heard his name mentioned. He recovered quickly, apologizing and inquiring the direction the conversation had taken.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Luna smiled at him. She looked to Granger before she filled him in.

"I was just telling Hermione that you might also be able to benefit from our research."

She reached over, grasped his hand with one of her small hands and gently pulled up his long sleeve, revealing the dark mark. It had faded with the fall of Voldemort, but was still visible. He blanched and tried to pull away. Luna held firm, and nodded to Hermione, who bared her arm. He flinched not wanting to see that horrid word carved in her arm. Was this what they had planned? To torture him and make him face what his actions had caused?

"It's ok Malfoy, open your eyes."

He reluctantly does, eyes flitting to Granger's bared arn. Instead of the horrid slur, he sees a beautiful tattoo. Granger's arm had blooming flowers, and delicate vines. An otter patronus dancing happily thru the flowers. His eyes ran over the beautiful image greedily. Finding no trace of the word, in fact it was no longer visible at all. Draco couldn't believe it. If he hadn't seen the cursed word with his own eyes, he never would have known it had ever been there to begin with. His right hand covered his mark as he tried to process it all.

"How? Dark magic can't be healed."

He had to ask the question running thru his mind. Granger gently took his hand and ran it over her tattoo. He watched in fascination as the flowers bloomed and the otter seemed to playfully follow his fingers. The word was still there, he could still feel the letters, but he couldn't see it. He looked up and whispered desperate plea.

"Please. Help me. I can't stand to know it is there."

Both girls shared a small smile and nodded. After a little debate, it was decided he would get a dragon for him name. Luna cautioned him still.

"It will hurt Draco Malfoy. Scar tissue always does."

"I don't care. I want it gone. I don't want to look at it and see it anymore. Any amount of pain will be worth that."

Granger took his hand and led him into another room, directing him to a chair with a very wide arm rest. She sat down next to him and explained the process while Luna readied the supplies needed. He had always known Granger was smart, but this whole idea was bloody brilliant. He wasn't too afraid to admit it either. Her cheeks flushed as she shyly murmured her thanks. She told him originally it had started with George. And how they had wanted to help him move on. His being the first tattoo, it was not one that moved. They hadn't perfected that yet. Though they shared a laugh at the idea of a talking tattoo that would finish his jokes.

Luna danced around the room pulling this and that close to the chair. She laid a tablet on a small table and began to sketch an intricate, detailed dragon. Her small hands flew over the page, blending, shading, adding color until she was pleased with the results. She showed him the finished sketch and he agreed it was amazing.

He laid his arm across the table, as Granger ran a hair removal spell over it. He looked unsure when Luna began prepping the tattoo gun. Granger scooted her chair closer, reaching for his hand. Her delicate fingers held his firm when Luna began the work. The sound of the gun was a little unsettling until Granger silenced it. He relaxed slightly then, heart still racing a bit. The pain was nothing compared to what it had felt like to be branded with the horrid mark.

Grangers fingers stroked his pulse whenever he tried to tense up, relaxing him instantly. His eyes held hers as he found himself getting lost in them. They were the same shade of the firewhiskey he preferred to drink of an evening. Minute gold flakes giving depth to the orbs. In no time at all it seemed the tattoo gun had stopped and Luna stood up. His eyes greedily took in the dragon on his arm as Luna first ran a healing spell over it.

He watched in fascination as Luna and Granger both began to weave their wands in intricate designs over his arm. Slowly the dragon began to stretch as though awakening from a long sleep. A short half hour later, the girls laid down their wands. There on Draco's arm was a detailed dragon in dark green and silver. It moved a little as his fingers traced it. A puff of smoke coming from its mouth when he petted its head. Without a doubt it was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. That dragon was the promise of a new life for him. It was liberating, as though all the weight from his past was gone with the sight of the mark. A smile lit his whole face as he professed his gratitude. Luna and Granger smiled.

"We are more than our scars Draco Malfoy. For too long they defined us. Not anymore. We are free."

And he was. He truly was. There was freedom in the ink. 


End file.
